The Running Dream

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2011

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Part 3, Chapters 1-3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 3, Chapter 1 Summary

Jessica leaves school early to attend a doctor’s appointment with her mother, who informs her that Dr. Wells had a sudden cancellation and can fit them in if they hurry. At the doctor’s office, they wait for close to an hour before Dr. Wells brings her in, examines her leg, and proclaims that she’s ready to get a preparatory prosthesis. They are sent to Hank Kruber, the prosthetist whom Jessica had met at the hospital, and whom she has given the nickname Hankenstein.

In the waiting room, they are joined by an elderly couple who seem unhappy. But Chloe, the receptionist who greets them, is “like sunshine through my cloud of uncertainty” (120). Her upbeat attitude keeps Jessica’s spirits afloat, even in the face of the elderly man, who remains sullen and sore. Chloe apologizes for how long Jessica and her mother wait in the office. She encourages Jessica, though, telling her that things will improve: “From here on, they’ll get better” (121). When they ask if Chloe has a family member who had an accident, she knocks on one of her legs, a prosthetic, and tells them she lost her leg to cancer when she was a girl. Jessica is floored because at no point did this woman look or act like someone who had a fake leg.

Part 3, Chapter 2 Summary

Jessica observes Chloe as she leads them to a small patient room. She notes that Chloe’s “movements are smooth. Assured” (123).Jessica takes heart in what she sees. Hank enters and begins to measure Jessica’s leg, so he can build a prosthetic that fits her. He explains that the procedure will happen in sections. First, Jessica will have a socket made; this socket will go over the remaining part of her leg. When the proper comfort level has been achieved, the pylon and foot will be added.

Hank gently leads Jessica through the process of making a plaster cast, wrapping her stump in wet gauzy rolls and massaging the cast around the stump to make sure that an accurate impression is made. After a few minutes, the cast dries, and Hank removes it. He tells them the socket will be ready by the end of the week. On their way out of the office, Jessica almost runs into Chloe, who smoothly moves out of the way. As she sits in the car on the way home, she admits that she feels hope, something “I thought I might never feel again” (127).

Part 3, Chapter 3 Summary

Because Jessica doesn’t want to miss any more math classes, she asks her mother to take her back to school for the second half of the day. Jessica regales Fiona and Rosa with her experience at Hankenstein’s office. Both girls laugh, and Jessica feels good about their reaction. Rosa was worried about Jessica’s absence, which Jessica finds heartwarming.

In math class, Ms. Rucker has students work on an in-class assignment, then submit it to her for assessment. Jessica, who missed this work covered during the previous day, doesn’t complete the work on time. When Ms. Rucker looks at Jessica’s work, she gives her a look that “manages to convey disappointment, doubt, and resentment” (130). Inside, Jessica screams that she’s missed school, she almost died, and everything is harder to accomplish now. But she just ducks her head. Rosa passes her a note offering to help and includes her phone number. Jessica smiles at her, then turns her attention to the math lesson on the board. Her day of positivity has been squashed, and she has “[c]rashed against the rocks again” (131).

Part 3, Chapters 1-3 Analysis

Jessica leaves school early to get Dr. Wells’ approval to move forward with the prosthetic leg. After he signs off, Jessica and her mother go to see Hank Kruber, called Hankenstein in jest by Jessica. He begins the measuring process and makes a cast of Jessica’s stump so he can make the first part of her fake leg. Jessica is highly inspired by Chloe, Hanks’ receptionist, who shares with Jessica that she lost her leg from cancer. Jessica is shocked because she would never have guessed that Chloe had a prosthetic; to Jessica, Chloe moved much too confidently and smoothly, but this example gives Jessica hope.

At school, that hope is dashed when Jessica can’t keep up with Ms. Rucker’s in-class assignment. Having disappointed her teacher and herself, Jessica finds that her good vibes have disappeared.